Can You Keep A Secret?
by amor vincit omnia
Summary: 16 years after Bella has triplets one child, Charlotte, tries to discover the family secret. It doesn't help when her siblings hate each other and no one is willing to help. Has she bitten off more than she can chew?
1. Chapter 1

**A.N–** Welcome to the sequel of 'A Moment Of Truth'. It's going to be a much improved story to its predecessor I promise you!

Just a quick note that in each part it was have a different time period; e.g. 13 years later. Just so you know it means 13 years from when the triplets were born and the last story finished.

The four years before is four years before the 13 years; so 9 years ago. Also in part two that is 14 years from their birth again.

Hope that makes sense.

As always please review and tell me what you think and if there are any improvement that's need to be made. Criticism is very welcome!

**Chapter One: The Introduction**

**Charlotte**

**Part One: **Prologue; 16 years in the making

**Part Two: **Look–a–Likesand Photographs

_(( It was the only place I'd ever known. _

_Turned off the light on my way out the door._

_I will be watching wherever you go;_

_through the eyes of a fly on the wall.  
Take the pain out of love and love won't exist._

_Everything we had is no longer there… ))_

_Everything We Had_

_The Academy Is…_

**Part One: Prologue; 16 years in the making**

_**13 years later…**_

"I can't live here anymore!" Beckett yelled grabbing at the clothes messily adorning his room.

"Please, can't we just talk about this?" Bella pleaded trying to unpack his belongings as he stuffed them in his backpack.

"No we can't; I want to live with Dad!" He zipped up his bag slinging it over his shoulder and pushing his way out of his bedroom door.

"Edward is just as much your father!" Bella shot back blocking his exit, her golden orbs flashing.

"He's not my real Dad!" Shoving past Bella he walked to the staircase knowing, that no matter what Bella said, she wasn't going to physically stop him leaving.

"Beckett, talk to me; what's wrong?!" She called after him, stopping at the foot of the stairs he looked back at her angrily.

"I hate this house, I hate these _people, _you don't understand me and there is just something… weird about this family; I can't live here!" He snarled taking a step down before stopping as looking back to Bella, "and you all smell horrible!"

He shoved past Amelie and I half way down the stairs; where we had been watching the argument.

"Have fun without me!" He snarled glaring towards Amelie with unjustified hate, ignoring me altogether.

Bella ran down the stairs in a flash but made no attempt to stop him this time. The rest of the family had joined in a small group at the front door as if they knew exactly what was going to happen. Then again; the yelling was a sure give away.

Carlisle stepped forward; his face calm and wise.

"You are free to leave; just remember you're always welcome in this house."

Beckett rolled his eyes and walked outside where Jacob was waiting; his cars engine already running. Beckett's face seemed to light up as his saw him as he ran towards the front passenger seat.

"Will you ever visit?" Bella called rushing to the door, holding onto Edward.

"Why torture myself?" He called back before slamming the door as they sped off into the night; leaving the rest of the family standing watching as they disappeared.

I looked over to Amelie; my mouth hanging open a little in shock. She looked back at me, a slight smirk playing her lips.

"Good riddens." She muttered, walking off back to her room upstairs.

That was the last time Beckett ever set foot inside our house; the Cullen's household. It seemed he made a far more dramatic exit that Amelie had.

_**4 years before…**_

The four of us walked along La Push beach; Beckett and Jacob to my left, Amelie to my right.

The silence had grown deathly as Jacob tried to sway Amelie from ignoring him after their latest argument.

Those two just didn't seem be alike in anyway and every encounter ended in a fight.

I looked between the two unsure what to do; these disputes were normal but never seemed to end well never the less.

Amelie suddenly stopped crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not coming back." She stated unhappily.

Jacob went to say something back but decided against it, closing his mouth and nodding.

"I'm calling Dad and going home." She said; Jacob simply nodded again.

He didn't even try to correct her that technically he was her Dad not Edward. After 9 years of trying he must have finally accepted he would always be just Jacob to her.

Beckett, Jacob and I watched as she drove off in Edwards Volvo out of La Push.

I turned to Beckett who seemed at ease almost… relived by all this.

"Good riddens." He smiled to me walking back to Jacob's garage to help out with his latest car. I sighed and walked off to find Leah.

That was the last time Amelie ever came with us to La Push for our fortnightly visits to catch up with Jacob…

"_It seems from an early age each of my siblings knew what they wanted. They knew who they liked and didn't like and it seemed they didn't need a reason to why either._

_It just seemed to be accepted by the Cullen half of the family that Beckett hated them all._

_Nobody questioned it and for the 13 years he lived there nobody reacted to his insults comments or the fact he avoided them at all costs._

_It seemed completely understood when he left home to live with Jacob; it was as if they had seen it coming._

_I had often questioned them about it. Nobody gave me a straight answer but from what I could tell they still loved him._

_If anything Emmett was the only really disappointed one; he had always wanted to take him 'hunting'._

_It was the same when Amelie stopped going to La Push; I just didn't get it. "_

**Part Two: Look-a-Likes and Photographs**

_**14 years later…**_

"_Even though we had shared a womb for 9 months and were in turn related did not mean that in any way they were to be considered alike. _

_In fact many people never thought we were related; let alone triplets. _

_It seemed we each took after different family members somehow…"_

I lay back on the back seat of the car resting my feet on the roof of the car. All four doors as well at the trunk and bonnet of the car were open allowing the blaring music to seep in.

Jacob and Beckett were working on the engine of the car talking to each other in a mechanical language I couldn't understand; nor did I make any effort to learn.

Even when Beckett had moved in with Jacob and Amelie had stopped going there all together I kept up my every two week visit ritual.

As I watched them work together it became more and more obvious just how alike they were.

Of the three of us Beckett took after Jacob entirely. He wasn't quite as tall as him yet but everything else down to the shape of their noses was identical.

The only real difference was their movement.

Jacob, despite his height, moved gracefully and was scarily coordinated. Beckett on the other hand moved with clumsiness of a teenage boy.

***

Back at home, the soft notes of the piano drifted throughout the room. I was lying on the couch watching Amelie play the piano intently focused with Edward by her side, smiling proudly.

Amelie had taken after Edward inevitably.

Her copper brown hair snaked down her back and matched Edward's messy tresses exactly. Their expressions held the same concentrating look precisely. The only difference was their eyes; Edward's seemed to be almost golden although I could never really be sure; they seemed to change daily. Amelie's were a boring hazel in comparison but although different colours they still seemed the same.

I shook my head in amazement watching what looked like a father - daughter union; but that wasn't possible. From the very basic and vague explanation the three of us had been given, Jacob was in fact, our biological father. Yet it seemed Amelie held no resemblance to him or our mother Bella. It was a question I had thought long and hard about with no success. I had often questioned Bella about it and although I never received an answer deep down I could tell she knew why.

**4 years before…**

"_Sitting up I looked into the mirror hanging on the wall. I frowned at the reflection; it was plain and simple to see who my siblings had taken after but as for me – I couldn't find anyone…_"

"Bella, who do I look like." I had asked sitting in the bathroom with my mother one morning getting ready for school.

"Charlotte honey; why don't you call me Mum?" Bella had asked with a smile brushing the nots out of my curls.

"It's just easier to call everyone by their first names." I shrugged.

"_From an early age I had always been confused by the whole Jacob and Edward father thing. Was I meant to call Jacob Dad and Edward Edward or both of them Dad? Would one get offended if I called them a certain thing? _

_I had decided in the end it was just easier; Bella was Bella, Jacob was Jacob and Edward was Edward. It took them all a while to get used to but after a while they all accepted it…"_

She laughed before focusing back on the previous question.

"You look like me of course." She stated simply looking back down at my hair momentarily.

I frowned.

No I didn't.

Bella was perfect; her skin was flawless and her eyes shone with the same golden shade as Edwards did. The only similarity we shared was our hair colour and even then mine was curly and messy and hers was always sleek and straight.

"You're kidding me right?" I muttered rolling my eyes.

Another soft laugh passed her lips as she bent down so our faces were side by side.

"I've… changed a lot since I was your age." She began before quickly slipping out of the bathroom.

I frowned, confused, until she quickly came back grasping a photo and passing it to me.

"That was me when I was your age."

I looked at it in shock; Bella had changed so much!

"See what I mean?" She smiled, "You have your grandfather's curls but the rest of you is inherited from me."

I stared at the photo more; it was just like me.

"What happened… you've changed so much?" I asked, startled.

She shook her head pulling my hair into a pony tail.

"A lot happened. Hold on to the photo if you like." She smiled walking out leaving me more confused than I started.

There was more to this than anyone was willing to tell me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Ages**

**Charlotte**

**Part One: **You're not that old; well you don't look it

**Part Two:** Its not stalking if I know you

_((__I'm talking 'bout change  
You really wanna see the way  
But if you wanna see  
Then you need to settle down ))_

_Risky Business_

_The Cab_

**Part One: You're not that old; well you don't look it**

**Present day (16 years later)…**

"_Time is always a confusing topic to think about. How we age how time moves how to move time. The only problem was time didn't seem to be an issue for my family._

_As Beckett, Amelie and I grew and aged everyone else seemed… frozen."_

My first year of school was the only time I ever remember Edward Jacob and Bella coming with us to class. I remember being told if anyone asked that we were their older siblings; under no circumstance were we to call anyone them Mum or Dad. Esme and Carlisle had also come under the pretences of our 'parents'. At the time none of us had really understood why.

By the time we had reached the school gates all interest in why we couldn't call them our parents had dissipated from my head and a rush of nerves had replaced them…

From that year on they had never come back. It was always Esme and Carlisle who had joined us. In fact it was Carlisle and Esme that had done everything school related. They had come to our parent teacher interviews, sports days, parent days everything. After a while it had become second nature to call them 'Mum and Dad' at school or in front of any of our friends.

Bella and Edward had told us they looked to young to be our parents and didn't want us to be looked badly upon by the teachers and parents.

It never really worried my either way; they all still managed to come to the important things; school plays and other events but always under the disguise of siblings or family friends. I guess I should have thought more about it back then.

***

It wasn't until I was 12 or 13 that things started to get strange. I started going to my friends houses a lot more and meeting their parents. I always noticed that they always looked so much older. Fine wrinkles adorned their faces and many wore glasses or had a sprinkle of grey starting in their hair.

This was another question no one would ever give me a whole answer for.

By the time I had hit 16 I was getting really concerned. My parents hadn't aged I had flicked through old photo albums and as I looked from photo to photo they looked the same as they had over 16 years ago.

What the hell was going on!?

The more concerning thing was that with each passing day I noticed my siblings and I were in fact catching up to them…

***

"B, have you ever noticed something weird about this family?" I asked one day while we were lying on her bed. I wasn't one to beat around the bush.

She stared at me resting her head in her hands.

"What that none of them are aging?" She said matter of factly.

"Well… yeah exactly."

"They must be VAMPIRES!" She flailed her arms yelling the last word as we collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"They're going to suck our blood!" I screamed as we fell onto the floor with a loud 'thud'.

"But where are the coffins, fangs and capes?" Bridget laughed lying on the floor.

"Oh that's all up in the attic."

"Ah of course!"

"Actually we keep it all in the basement along with all the dead bodies." Edward's voice said which was soon followed with his body as he walked in smiling.

He looked down at us sprawled out on the floor a tangle of laughing limbs with his eyebrow raised.

"So why are we all vampires now?" He asked curiously leaning on the door frame.

I looked to Amelie unsure; what did we tell him?

"Because for the past 16 years of our existence you have yet to age past what looks like 20 years at the maximum." Amelie shot back looking at him seriously now.

He didn't seem startled by this in the slightest.

"Maybe we are vampires after all…" was all he said as he turned around in one fluent movement muttering under his breath as he left. "Looks like they both have Bella's curiosity…

I looked at her open mouthed unsure of how to take what he had said; was he being serious?

Amelie looked back before smiling and laughing.

"Well that explains EVERYTHING!" She said sarcastically. "There's something going on but it isn't vampires." Grabbing a magazine she went back to what she had been doing.

Despite her relaxedness about this all I couldn't shake the feeling maybe it was true… maybe.

**Part Two: It's not stalking if I know you**

"_I had learnt something through out my life. As much as I loved my brother and sister they didn't seem to have the same burning curiosity as I did. When ever I wanted to find something out they usually lost interest quickly. It took me a while but I soon learnt it was just easier to figure things out myself. _

_I had also learnt I wasn't going to get answers from anyone by asking for them; I was going to have to do my own investigating."_

Darkness fell a little too slowly for my liking that night. 12pm chimed on the clock and as per every school night Amelie and I were sent to bed.

Rose and Emmett were lying on the couch watching a sitcom, Jasper was reading and Alice was shopping online. I knew Carlisle was off at the hospital working while Esme was cooking something in the kitchen that smelt very much like cake. Edward and Bella had to force us into our separate bed rooms to sleep and once we were in total darkness their footsteps echoed down the stairs.

I lay in my bed eyes wide open fighting off sleep. Tonight I was going to learn a few things; I didn't know what but there was something big my family was hiding from me.

After an hour there was no movement or signs of anyone retiring upstairs to sleep I silently slipped my window open. Although it was a two story drop to the ground I had figured out after years of practise I found I could shimmy down the drain pipe for about a meter before jumping onto the soft grass safely.

Without a sound I was outside in the cold air. Shivering I walked around slowly to the front of the house careful to avoid detection from my family inside. I found my way to the lounge room window and peeked through. People were moving around and as I watched Emmett and Rose got up looking excited. I frowned watching them as they said something to the others and came out the back door.

I quickly jumped to the side into the shadows as they ran off into the forest behind the house.

This wasn't ordinary running. They moved from the back door to deep in the forest in a matter of seconds. With inhuman speed that made them into more of a blur than real people. Rubbing my eyes I watched a few leaves float back down into place where they had been startled by Emmett and Rose.

What.

The.

Hell.

Okay that was not normal that was… like superhuman power or something.

Pondering this over in my mind I waited in the darkness for them to return. Not a half hour later they came back running as gracefully and quickly as they had left. I stared wide eyed taking in the unbelievable spectrum; this couldn't be real.

The rest of the family got up to greet them on their returned. When they were slow enough for em to see them properly I could see their eyes wide and excited their irises a gleaming golden. The window was unlocked so slowly, making sure not to grab their attention, I slip it open a crack. Their voices drifted out to me as I listened intently.

"What did you catch hunting?" Edward asked casually from the couch.

"The usual a few mountain lions-" Rose began before being cut off by Emmett.

"And even a irritable Grizzly!" He boomed excitedly.

"Shh, you'll wake the girls!" Bella whispered.

"But it tasted really good Bella!" Emmett whined playfully with a soft laugh.

Hang on-

They had gone hunting;

In the middle of the night.

In total darkness.

With just their bare hands.

And caught grizzlies and mountain lions.

And it tasted good?

Holy shit what the hell was going on here!?

Looking down at my watch I realised it was almost 2. From the looks of it none of them had any intention of going to sleep anytime.

I stifled a yawn rubbing at the bags I could feel forming under my eyes.

How could they all look so refreshed and awake still?

Another yawn escaped as everyone went back to what they were doing; they were seriously not going to sleep?

Shivering I gave up on my hunt for the night and shimmied back up the drain clambering into my room.

There was some messed up stuff going on in this family…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Investigation**

**Charlotte **

**Part One: **Damn He's Good

**Part Two: **I knew your mother…

(( If this is a test, I'm losing my shit

Would it kill you to care, as much as I did?

If this is a test, I'm wasting my breath

You're a stranger I know well… ))

The Test

The Academy Is…

**Part One: Damn He's Good**

" _As I thought about it things started piecing together:_

_I had never seen any of my family sleep; sure sometimes they would go up to their rooms to sleep but I had never physically seen them._

_I had never seen them eat either; they always had an excuse to get out of it. They had already eaten, they weren't hungry or they were grabbing something to eat later. The more I thought about it the more I realised there were a lot of normal things my family didn't do…"_

The next morning I stumbled down the stairs still half asleep. Once I had gotten to bed I hadn't been able to sleep. I had spent the whole night just…wondering. How had I never noticed any of this stuff before?

How was it possible?

My plan for this morning was simple; to bombard them with questions until they eventually screwed up and give something away.

Edward was the only one downstairs when I got there. I clumsily grabbed for some bread and stuffed in the toaster as he watched me.

"You didn't sleep well?" He asked casually sitting at the kitchen bench.

I shook my head yawning.

"What about you?" I asked smiling innocently.

"Very well thank you." He smiled back as the toaster popped up causing me to jump.

"What time did you go to sleep?" I asked; if he said before 2 he was lying, I had proof.

"Oh it wasn't till late. Emmett and Rose went out and made us all stay up waiting. It wouldn't have been till at least after 2."

I frowned; damn it.

"Want something to eat?" I offered him the other piece of toast.

He shook his head.

"Already eaten," He said pointing at the plate in the sink.

"What did you have?" I asked suspiciously maintaining eye contact as I buttered my toast.

"Toast"

"With?"

"Peanut butter."

"Anything else?"

"Orange juice."

"What was it like?"

"The toast was a little over done, the peanut butter was good and the juice was chilled to perfection."

Each question was answered instantly without a moment hesitation. Damn it, he was good.

"So what are you doing today?" I asked staring out at the bleak sky as rain began to pitter-patter on the windows softly.

"Working" He said sighing with a laugh.

"Hmm" I muttered taking a bite of toast. "Where is everyone else?"

"Long gone; you do know what time it is right?" He asked pointing to the clock above my head.

"Shit I'm going to be late!" I hissed under my breath grabbing my bag and running out the door; my suspicions still on high alert.

**Part Two: **I knew your mother…

I pulled up into the closest spot in the school car park just as the bell rang.

Forks High School, I was told, hadn't changed in years. As I ran down the path the rain grew heavier covering me in a layer of cold water. I skidded into class as the final bell sounded and sat down just as the teacher walked in behind me.

"Good morning class. My name is Ms. Weber and I'll be your substitute teacher for this lesson." She said quietly placing her books on the front desk.

Carefully she pushed her glassed up her nose covering her soft brown eyes. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a loose bun pushed off her face.

"Good morning Ms. Weber." We all responded in sync already bored.

"Today's class is to be used to finish your history assignments," She read from a sheet before smiling and sitting down.

People around me quickly started moving around grabbing computers and books and talking to one another. I sat there dazed for a moment catching my breath from running in and warming up from the freezing rain now bucketing down outside.

I fumbled around with my books absently unable to find the energy to get up and start working like the rest of my history class. I felt uneasy for a moment as I looked up to realise Ms. Weber the substitute teacher was staring at me intently. Her eye brows creased together her mouth hanging open a little as she leaned in closer to me as if what she was looking at wasn't really there.

"I can't be…" She muttered to herself blinking hard and refocusing on me. I looked around helplessly but nobody seemed to notice the teacher's deep fascination in me.

"Bella…?" She asked in a whisper slowly standing and walking over to where I sat.

"No that's my Mum; I'm Charlotte…" I frowned unable to move from my table as she crouched to eye level with me.

"But if your 16 now…" She dazed out for a moment fingers moving on the table as she counted back to herself.

"So it was true…" She sighed looking back at me closely. I raised an eyebrow confused.

"I don't want to sound rude, but what is true?"

"I went to school with your mother," She began as I frowned; this woman looked like she was in her thirties, my parents still look early twenties if that. I refocused on the conversation as she continued to talk eyes glazing over.

"We would have been on about 18 at the time I think. We were half way through the year when something, strange, started going on with her and Edward. I know there was a car crash but she came back to school after that…" She trailed off frowning in concentration trying to remember what happened all those years ago. I stared at her intently desperate for any piece of information.

"Yes that's right she came back for a day but then… she left and I never saw her again. Sure I talk to her occasionally over the phone but she just never came back… Said she was transferring schools just out of the blue…

"What about Edward? All the other Cullen's?" I asked sitting up.

"Well they all moved with her as well. But if you ask me it was all a little… suspicious."

"So nobody knew what happened?" I pressed growing more and more confused. Bella told me she and Edward had both graduated from high school; I guess I should have gotten her to specify which.

"Well I wasn't one to pry but there were rumours of course."

"What rumours?"

"Well a lot of people were going around saying she was… well pregnant… but I never believed any of that." She looked back to me focusing. "Maybe it was true after all…"

"Do you have any… pictures or anything from back then?" I asked my heart began to pound excitedly as she nodded.

"I'm sure I would have a few lying around. You would probably be better checking the yearbook first though that would have the most information." She smiled not asking why I was so interested.

"Why don't you go down to the library now?" She suggested writing me a note as I slowly stood up leaving the room excitement bubbling inside. Maybe I was actually getting somewhere now…


End file.
